Is the meta tag keywords needed for SEO?

Bloggers are always very concerned about their SEO status, and it is quite appropriate for them. Without a proper SEO strategy, no website can gain a good organic traffic. Organic traffic is very important to reach a good amount of daily visitors for any website – be it a blog or any other website.

The meta tags are very important for defining certain elements of a website. Robots and spiders from the search engines look for these meta tags to get information about the website.

The meta tag keywords was once an important concern for web developers and website owners too. However, recently the big man from Google, Mr. Matt Cutts himself declared that the meta tag keywords is no longer needed on websites.

Matt Cutts is the head of the Google webspam team. The man himself described in a video, how Google discards the meta tag keywords while considering SEO factors.

Why does Google discard the usage of meta tag keywords

The concept is simple. When Google considered the meta tag keywords for getting an idea about the type of website or its purpose; several spammers took advantage of this.

Consider a situation where several people have the same niche and are fighting for a top spot. Now, if a top performing site is spammed and all of their keywords are copied and pasted to another low authority website. The search engines would be in confusion (at least from one perspective) about the authentication of those keywords.

So, these would be the consequences –

Spammers would start following top authority websites and directly copy their meta tag keywords section.

A lot of wrong websites would be listed in top searches. Considering their keyword density, the search algorithm would fail to track waste websites which do not produce proper content to the users.

SEO optimization and maintenance would mean nothing for high authority websites. Because they would always be at the threat of hacking.

So, Google mentioned in their update and also implemented this technique. They removed their usage of the meta tag keywords.

Role of the meta tag keywords and meta description

So, what is the use of including the meta tag keywords in my website?

Is this question striking you? Well, it did strike me too, and after a lot of research and going through some very detailed information I have omitted it myself. I can tell you this much, my organic SEO is still the same.

I can assure you that you might do the same. It wouldn’t hurt. You can keep it too. That wouldn’t harm either. But, it would sit uselessly occupying some lines on your webpage (that’s okay, no problem).

The meta description tag is an interesting tag. The meta tag keywords does not have any significant usage, but the former does. The description meta tag is used as a summary for the user who searches on the search engine. When your website gets listed, a short description is shown to the user. This comes from the meta description.

This does not contribute largely to SEO, but it’s good to have it. Most importantly, do include the focus keyword of a page in its meta description.

So, should I seriously exclude it?! What does the SEO master Yoast say?

Well, as I have mentioned earlier in this post; you may discard the meta tag keywords. But, if you still think I might be wrong, you are most welcome to keep it as it is.

Just before I end this post I would like to bring to you some important aspects from the WordPress Yoast SEO plugin. I am using the plugin for about 1 and half years now, but I never noticed this.

The big SEO mastermind behind this plugin, Joost de Valk himself suggests you to not use meta keywords. The plugin has a settings page where you can choose to use the meta tag keywords or not. There, just below the checkbox, it says – “I don’t know why you want to use it, but still if you want to please check the box”.

So you see, it’s really very much into practice nowadays and it won’t hurt you. Do think about it and let me know what you feel.

Hi @ravichahar:disqus
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my article. Actually, previously meta tags were important for SEO. But now, even if you put them in your website; it has no effect. People from Google are saying about this update!
But of course if you insist in having them, no issues at all.